Sunday, April 14, 2013

Caprese Chicken Drumsticks

I have a slight addiction to tomatoes. Plump, red and juicy - I add them to nearly every meal. I pop cherry tomatoes into my mouth as if they were candy. I heart tomatoes.

These babies inspired me to create a meal that was light and fresh and full of flavor. With First Street brand chicken drumsticks and thighs on sale at Smart & Final for $0.99 a pound starting on 4/17, I could get enough to feed the whole family for only a few dollars.

I picked up a few other ingredients besides the chicken and tomatoes, including balsamic vinegar, and fresh mozzarella cheese. Paired with some Sicilian olive oil and some fresh basil from my garden, I was ready to grill up a mouthwatering chicken dish.

For the marinade, I mixed together a half cup of balsamic vinegar, a quarter cup of olive oil, a loose third cup of chopped fresh basil, a tablespoon of minced garlic (forgot to add that to the picture), a teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of pepper. I arranged my drumsticks nicely in a dish and poured my marinade over them, then let them sit covered in the fridge for a couple of hours, making sure to flip them a couple times.

Right before I was ready to cool the chicken, I put my caprese salad together. With grape or cherry tomatoes, you just need to chop them in half. I prefer their sweeter flavor in this particular dish over a bigger tomato.

For a twelve-ounce package of tomatoes you need six or seven ounces of fresh mozzarella cut into bite-size pieces, a quarter cup of vinegar, two Tablespoons of olive oil, a loose quarter cup of chopped basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all together and then let it sit while you grill the chicken.

It might be hard, but try not too eat too much of it while the chicken is cooking. You want to have enough left for everyone else!

Grill chicken on medium heat until the inside is cooked through. It should take about 20 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure it's at a safe temperature of 165 degrees. Once it's cooked, transfer to a clean serving dish and top with the tomato mixture. Get all the yummy liquid in there too. It only makes the chicken even better.

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/3 cup fresh basil, 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and a half teaspoon of pepper. Pour over chicken drumsticks, cover and let marinade for at least an hour, or longer if you can. Before grilling the chicken, assemble your salad by chopping tomatoes and mozzarella into bite-size pieces and combing with the 1/4 cup chopped basil. Mix the 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper in a small bowl, then pour over your salad and mix well. Grill chicken on medium heat for about 20 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Once chicken is cooked, arrange on a serving dish and top with all of the tomato mixture, including the liquid. Serve immediately.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Smart & Final #CBias #SocialFabric

I write about things that are relevant to my family and our lifestyle. I do accept sponsorships, cash advertising and/or paid topic insertions if and only if they fit within the theme of the blog.

I will NEVER accept money to write about something I do not believe in, or to provide a specific opinion on a product, service, website or other various topic. All opinions expressed on this blog are mine and only mine, and can not be swayed for payment.

I do not claim to be an expert in any area, so I can only offer my personal experiences. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

I will always disclose a post that has been sponsored. Any post without a disclosure is a non-sponsored post.